Brothers
by Lyn Harkeran
Summary: AU/ Thor goes to visit Loki everyday when he's imprisoned, and tries to reconnect and rebuild their old kinship. No pairing, but loads of brotherly feels and fluff


**Brothers**

* * *

On the outside Loki was the picture of tranquility, but on the inside he was conflicted. Why wouldn't Thor leave him be? Why was it that during the last few weeks, the heir of Asgard had found him worthy of his time? Surely he had to have an agenda of some sort. . . Or did he?

"Brother?"

Loki slowly lifted his eyes to the muscly blonde that currently stood across from his glass cage. His 'brother' apparently couldn't take a subtle hint, so once again he would have to be brazen and direct if he wanted some peace.

"As fascinating as our talks are," he began with a sarcastic grimace. "I am quite weary and am in desperate need of slumber."

Thor frowned at the somewhat blunt dismissal, but very quickly let a smile spread on his face. "I did not mean to bore you, Loki."

_You always bore me, _Loki thought before he once more tuned in to what the burly Asgardian was saying.

_"- _I will be sure to bring you more books tomorrow, as I promised."

"How kind of you," Loki said with a laugh that was surprisingly _not _forced. "Though with how frequently you visit, I never get the chance to read any of them."

Thor chuckled and his eyes crinkled in amusement. "Tis true enough! But I will bring them nonetheless! Good night, brother. I wish you pleasant dreams."

Loki watched silently as Thor turned around and walked out of the chamber, noting that his shoulders slightly slumped as he reached the door. As they did every night that they parted and Loki didn't return the sentiment. . . Loki knew that he would most likely regret his choice later on, but decided to act upon his impulse anyway.

"Goodnight. . . Thor," Loki called back gently, wondering what could have possessed him to do such a rash thing. But before the Trickster could further reprimand himself, Thor turned back around and gave him a warm smile.

The unabashed affection that radiated from the blonde Avenger was in a word unexpected, and for once Loki couldn't keep his confident grin in place. The way that Thor was smiling at him now, all dimples and sincerity, made Loki feel almost as if they were children again. . . Children with kindred souls and no knowledge of their different parentage or fates.

And then, just as quickly as it had come, the moment was gone. Thor gave Loki a nod and continued on his way to exit the chamber.

As the double doors closed behind the giant of a man, Loki let out a long breath that he didn't' realize he had been holding.

It was a daily ritual between them now, Loki noted, with a pang of an emotion he would not grace with a label. Thor came to see him _every _day no matter what his schedule was, and he would bring Loki things to occupy his time, such as books and problems that were currently plaguing the Nine Realms. And he always did so with a smile in place and his booming laugh not too far behind.

At first Loki had found the intrusion grating to say the least, but with each passing day his frustrations grew dimmer until only resignation remained. And yet it wasn't an unbearable resignation as he had supposed it would be. Instead of anger or distain, Loki felt _numb _when Thor came to visit. Was this numbness perhaps his Jotun blood kicking in? Was he perhaps beyond bonding on a positive emotional scale?

Loki laid down on his cot that rested in the corner of his glass cell and stared up at the ceiling, several tears falling down his pale, hollow cheeks.

He had no answers and would be stuck in the prison of glass and magic for who knew how long. But it wasn't these factors of his life that currently made him cry, nor was it the fact that he was now alone.

Oh no, his reason for tears wasn't so simple. It wasn't so amendable either.

Loki curled into himself and let his mask come off, and in his despair he didn't notice the pair of eyes that watched him from the re-opened doorway, or the soft footfalls that echoed in hushed reverence. Nor did he hear the slight hiss of magic as the glass was breached, or slight creak of the bed as someone sat down on the edge. It wasn't until Loki felt a firm hand on his shoulder that the God of Mischief finally noticed the intruder.

There, sitting near his feet, was Thor with that same affectionate smile gracing his lips. Though despite his happy expression, his face was also adorned with tears.

"Why won't you give up on me," Loki rasped after several long minutes of silence. "Why can you not accept that things will never be the same as they were before?"

Thor was quiet for a moment before he answered. "I will never give up hope Loki, because you are my brother."

"Not by blood."

Thor shook his head, "No, not by blood. But in every other sense, _we are_. And no matter what you do, where you go, or what you might say, that will not change."

Loki looked up at him with red, teary eyes and tried to judge Thor's sincerity. And after a moment he felt a watery half-smile begin to form on his lips. Though Thor had said such statements in the past, this time felt different. Perhaps it was the tear-stains that glowed on Thor's cheeks, or the fact that he had actually come into the glass cage. But whatever the reason, Loki actually believed him.

The Trickster took a deep breath and said the words that needed to be freed, noting that as they left his tongue, his whole body felt lighter than before.

"We've been through a lot, you and I . . . There has been much death and transformation on both our parts. And though we are_ not_ brothers. . . You must never doubt- that I love _you_."

New crystalline tears formed in Thor's eyes and he reached out to pull Loki into a hug, before saying, "I never have doubted it, Loki. And I never will."

Loki closed his eyes and hugged Thor back, knowing that the moment wouldn't last long, but wishing that it could. Despite all of his snarky comments and deeds to prove otherwise, he had missed Thor.

Loki had missed his _brother. _

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I've wanted to write a Loki and Thor bro- story since I saw the their deleted scene from the first film. _"Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you." T_T _

This was my first attempt at writing their angsty relationship, so I hope I did it right. . . ^^; Though I HAD to add some fluff at the end. My inner fangirl couldn't take a sad ending, hehehe~!

Did I do alright? Is it complete rubbish? Please let me know guys! (cough review cough) ^^

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

_**~Lyn Harkeran**_


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